Summary of Turkey

I know it has been a few months since I went to Turkey and the posts have been slow in coming, but Cappadocia was our last stop in Turkey before heading to Greece for a couple of days. Turkey was amazing! I loved almost every minute of it. The history, architecture, people, food, etc. were all outstanding. Istanbul is a city I would return to again and again. Ephesus and Cappadocia are begging for me to return.

Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district at night from Galata Tower

Safety

As I mentioned before, when I was there, I didn’t feel unsafe, especially not in Istanbul. The people were all extremely friendly and hospitable. Yes, there were more armed police and soldiers wandering the streets than should be. However, they did not interfere with an enjoyable experience.

Food

The food is beyond scrumptious. Fresh bread with a hard crust and soft inside was always available. When dipped in fresh olive oil and paired with various cheeses and ripe tomatoes and cucumber, you call it breakfast. Rich lentil soups, doner kebab, stewed meat and veggies, more perfect bread, make lunch and dinner. Sweet, pistachioed gelatinous or mallowy cubes made with honey and nougat and cocoa and pomegranate provide the most delectable treat in a Turkish delight (not the nasty powdered sugar covered ones in boxes found in Western Europe or America).

Trip Planning

We had limited time, high demands of what we wanted to experience, and a limited budget, so like with India, we found a domestic travel agency to help us make arrangements. Magnificent Travel lived up to its name. Nihat was very easy to work with and planned a marvelous itinerary within our restraints. The agency arranged for transportation (mostly private cars and drivers), tour guides, hotel accommodations, and other special experiences like the amazing hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia. I would recommend working with Magnificent Travel if you want to experience magnificent Turkey.

As I said, after Cappadocia, we made our way to Greece for a couple of days, which the agency also helped arrange. So, a few more posts and I’ll have finally shared my memorable Spring Festival travels. So much for trying to get posts written same day like I resolved to do for the New Year.